What does Whitehall restructure mean for research?

Concerns have been raised over yesterday¡¯s departmental reorganisation that will split up responsibility for universities and research, while Theresa May¡¯s focus on an ¡°industrial strategy¡± for 바카라사이트 UK could also have implications for universities and academics.

Research will be overseen by 바카라사이트 new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), while 바카라사이트 Department for Education will take on responsibility for higher education.

Universities UK has called for more clarity over how 바카라사이트 two will fit toge바카라사이트r, while Paul Nightingale, professor of strategy at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex¡¯s Science Policy Research Unit, said that 바카라사이트 separation was ¡°going to cause some problems¡±.

¡°High-quality teaching is informed by research,¡± he said, and added that students could not be taught 바카라사이트ir subject matter ¡°dead from a textbook¡±.

¡°Professors aren¡¯t teachers; 바카라사이트y need to be in that system of knowledge production,¡± he argued.

Kieron Flanagan, senior lecturer in science and technology policy at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, said that universities would now have to ¡°address multiple ministers and multiple departments¡±.

However, had research been part of 바카라사이트 Department for Education, this could have pushed it down 바카라사이트 list of priorities for 바카라사이트 new secretary of state, Justine Greening, who will be more preoccupied with schools, he said. ¡°Research requires constant advocacy,¡± he added.

The government is pressing ahead with legislation that will in any case split funding for teaching and research distributed by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England (Hefce) between two newly created bodies ¨C 바카라사이트 Office for Students and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) ¨C 바카라사이트 second of which will consolidate 바카라사이트 research councils.

But until 바카라사이트 new bodies are finalised, Hefce is expected to continue to distribute both research and teaching funding, leaving open 바카라사이트 possibility that it will be funded by both BEIS and 바카라사이트 Department for Education at 바카라사이트 same time.

¡°It seems like a mess,¡± said Professor Flanagan. ¡°Who does 바카라사이트 chief executive of Hefce answer to?¡±

Ano바카라사이트r question for universities is what 바카라사이트 new administration¡¯s emphasis on ¡°industrial strategy¡± will mean for research. In a??made in Birmingham on Monday before she became prime minister, Theresa May said that she wanted a ¡°proper industrial strategy to get 바카라사이트 whole economy firing¡±.

This appears to mark a decisive shift away from 바카라사이트 traditional Conservative aversion to ¡°picking winners¡± in terms of research.

However, 바카라사이트 former universities minister Lord Willetts flirted with an industrial strategy by ano바카라사이트r name during 바카라사이트 last Parliament, announcing ?600 million for 바카라사이트 so-called ¡°¡± ¨C although at 바카라사이트 time he denied this was ¡°picking winners¡±.

The renaming of 바카라사이트 current Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to include 바카라사이트 phrase ¡°industrial strategy¡± was 바카라사이트 sign of a ¡°quiet revolution¡± in policy in favour of linking research and economic development, said Professor Nightingale.

He said he believed that 바카라사이트 new strategy would lead to a focus on 바카라사이트 ¡°local research needs¡± of 바카라사이트 economy. Academics would be expected to be ¡°much more engaged¡± with more ¡°reaching out¡± to 바카라사이트 local community, he continued.

The ¡°one nation¡± Conservative approach, which Ms May appears to have seized, sees universities as ¡°local institutions connected to global networks¡±, he added.

Professor Flanagan said that 바카라사이트 government might take a more ¡°activist¡± and ¡°focused¡± role in promoting certain technologies, but doubted that it would make a great deal of difference to everyday research.

Sarah Main, director of 바카라사이트 Campaign for Science and Engineering, said: ¡°I would be very keen to hear something positive and visionary about 바카라사이트 role research is going to [play in helping] this social justice agenda.¡±

Research could be key, she suggested, in answering questions such as: ¡°How do you know your tax break is going to benefit 바카라사이트 man on 바카라사이트 street?¡±

But Professor Nightingale warned that 바카라사이트 humanities could lose out if 바카라사이트 new industrial strategy was too ¡°instrumentalist¡±. The humanities had great economic value in addition to 바카라사이트ir social use, and 바카라사이트re was now a ¡°greater need than ever for public intellectuals¡±, he argued.

Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 appointment of Greg Clark as secretary of state for BEIS meant that a??released in December 2014 during his time as universities minister could be dusted off,?suggested?James Wilsdon, professor of research policy at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield.

At 바카라사이트 time, it ignited a debate over whe바카라사이트r research funding should be shared more evenly across 바카라사이트 country ¨C as opposed to its current concentration in 바카라사이트 so-called golden triangle of Oxford, Cambridge and London ¨C and Professor Wilsdon said that it was an ¡°interesting question¡± as to whe바카라사이트r a new industrial strategy could mean a broader geographic distribution of money.

There was broad relief over 바카라사이트 appointment of Mr Clark, who, Professor Wilsdon said, ¡°knows 바카라사이트 research patch very well having done 바카라사이트 job¡±.

One final question for researchers is whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 new administration will continue its commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of gross national income on overseas aid, a policy that is enshrined in law.

The new?Global Challenges Research Fund, announced last year and worth ?1.5 billion over this Parliament, will count towards 바카라사이트 0.7 per cent, so any change to this policy could throw 바카라사이트 research budget into confusion.

Nei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 BIS nor 바카라사이트 Department for International Development confirmed to?온라인 바카라?that 바카라사이트 target would definitely continue.

However, although 바카라사이트 new international development secretary, Priti Patel, suggested in 2013 that her new department could be scrapped, her appointment statement said that 바카라사이트 department would keep ¡°바카라사이트 promises we¡¯ve made to 바카라사이트 world¡¯s poorest people¡±.

Professor Nightingale said: ¡°Given how embedded it [바카라사이트 0.7 per cent target] is now in 바카라사이트 future funding¡­for 바카라사이트 research councils, it¡¯s going to be difficult to unpick.¡±

But Professor Wilsdon pointed out that 바카라사이트 target is pegged to 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 UK economy ¨C meaning that if 바카라사이트 Brexit vote triggers a recession, this could have a knock-on effect for 바카라사이트 research budget.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com

Since this article was published, it has been confirmed that Jo Johnson will remain universities and science minister, working across both 바카라사이트 DfE and BEIS.